Website cookies are things that most people don’t worry about. However, it is important to know what they are used for and how you can control what information they store about out. Cookies are small files stored on your computer (placed there by websites) so that they can remember certain settings or statuses. By default, cookies are enabled in Firefox.
Tag Archives | cookies
App Tab Initializer
Need to open a preferred set of App Tabs when Firefox is started? After my post about App Tabs, DarkMan72 mentioned that it still gave him trouble. If you clear your browser cookies often, App Tabs might give you problems. Here are his thoughts:
Opt-Out of Cookie Based Advertising
Want to opt out of being targeted by advertising networks out there? The Beef Taco add-on for Firefox will help protect you. Once installed, this extension sets permanent opt-out cookies to stop behavioral advertising for over 100 different advertising networks. Some of the companies include:
How to Stop Website Tracking in Firefox
Want to stop websites from tracking your behavior and details? Firefox supports a new feature that will hopefully be the solution to this problem. It is called Do-not-track. It is easy enough to enable too. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps.
Firefox Loves Cookies!
To end the week, check out this fantastic little comic from the creative mind of The Dawn Chapel.
Love this comic? Go support the artist and buy the t-shirt! Also, be sure to go check out dawnchapel.com for more great art and comics (however, not all Firefox related).
Do Not Track Button Coming to Firefox
By early next year, Mozilla promises that cloaking your internet activity will become much easier. Technology that supports something like a "Do Not Track" button will be delivered soon. So what is this all about and doesn’t Firefox already keep people from tracking you?
Block Cookies from a Single Website
Not sure if you want a specific website gathering information about you via browser cookies? In Firefox it is very easy to specify website by website which ones are blocked from serving you up any cookies via the browser. I will let you know how to block cookies on a per site basis and see the websites that you have blocked cookie access from.
Clear Junk When Firefox Closes
Want to have Firefox just clear out the un-important stuff when you start browsing? Now, this is highly based in my opinion – and I do have to say that one man’s un-important data might be another man’s stuff he can’t miss.
I’ll share with you though how I have my browser setup to clear some un-important data each time I close the browser.
Mitch’s Clear History When Firefox Closes Settings
Go to Tools, and then click on Options.
Next, go to the Privacy tab and select “Use custom settings for history” from the drop down menu.
Put a check mark in the box for, “Clear history when Firefox closes” and then click on the button labeled, Settings.
Make sure you add a check mark for only the following boxes:
- Browsing History
- Download History
- Forms & Search History
- Cache
Then hit the button labeled, “OK” to continue. On the Options window, also click the button labeled, “OK” and you are all set.
This way I have Firefox setup to clear everything except for my saved passwords and login sessions that are enabled by cookies. Your setup might be different, and if it is – feel free to share in the comments.
Find Out What Web Pages Are Watching You
What a minute, what was that? Was it a bump in the night or a cookie in my browser? Ghostery, the add-on for Firefox, will help you find out what web sites out there are keeping an eye on you, even when it isn’t overly obvious.
Alerting you when you visit a web site with web bugs on it, Ghostery is a good extension to have if you are worried about your online privacy. The web bugs in question are usually hidden scripts that track your behavior and are used by the site to understand you better.
Currently supporting over 130 services (with weekly updates and additions) here is a sample of the supported services:
- Google Analytics
- MyBlogLog
- Quantcast
- IndexTools
- SiteMeter
- Lijit
- Omniture
- CrazyEgg
- Snap
- Omniture
- Statcounter
Well deserving of it’s rank as a “recomended add-on” for Firefox, Ghostery does a great job at helping you keep an eye on what sites, ad networks and widgets are keeping an eye on you.
How to Clear Private Data in Firefox
Worried somebody is going to snoop around on what you are doing from within Firefox? Have no fear! Although private browsing hasn’t made its way to Firefox yet, you can still clear your private data in Firefox very easily.
What is Firefox Saving About Me?
Now the first question you may have is what type of content is saved by Firefox?
- Browsing History: contains a log web locations you have previously visited.
- Download History: keeps a list of files you’ve downloaded.
- Saved Form and Search History: contains a list of phrases you have entered in text fields, such as web searches, and name and address fields.
- Cache: stores temporary files, such as web pages and other online media, that you have downloaded from the Internet.
- Cookies: stores files created by web sites, that store information on your computer, such as your preferences when visiting that site. (When a web site has a “remember this” check box, they are using a cookie.)
- Offline Website Data: information web sites have stored on your computer for use without an internet connection.
- Saved Passwords: contains a list of user names and passwords you have opted to have Firefox remember.
- Authenticated Sessions: keeps you logged into secure web sites, you have already used the password manager to log in to.
Firefox makes it very simple to clear a few or all of these settings. From the top of Firefox, in the menu bar – select Tools > Clear Private Data. (You can also pull this up by using the keyboard combination Ctrl + Shift + Del ) Check mark the data you want to clear, then click on , to clear the data; or click on , to close the Clear Private Data window, without clearing any private data.
How to Automate the Private Data Cleaning
I have my Firefox set to clear certain private data when I close Firefox. To do this, go to Tools > Options and then click on the Privacy Tab. From there, look at the settings listed under Private Data. you have the option to:
- Always clear my private data when I close Firefox
- Ask me before clearing private data
Clicking on the “Settings” will allow you to choose what is cleared when you exit Firefox.
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